Tasting & Evaluating Wine Flashcards
The vast majority of wines can be described as _______________.
Clear
Wines with an unusually high amount of suspended particles can be described as _______________.
Hazy
Haziness may indicate a _______________ in the wine or that the wine has not been _______________.
Fault; clarified
Intensity is how much _______________ the wine has.
Colour
A white wine that has a broad watery rim should be described as _______________; if the pigment reaches almost to the rim it should be described as _______________.
Pale; deep
If a red wine is lightly pigmented from the rim to the core, it can be described as _______________.
Pale
If a red wine is intensely pigmented right up to the rim, it should be described as _______________.
Deep
Regarding color, white wines can be placed on a scale that runs from _______________ to _______________.
Lemon-green; brown
The most common color of white wines is _______________.
Lemon
If there is a hint of orange or brown in a white wine, the wine is _______________.
Gold
Wines with a noticeable level of browning could be described as _______________ or _______________.
Amber; brown
Red wines can be placed on a color scale that runs from _______________ to _______________.
Purple; brown
The most common color of red wine is _______________.
Ruby
Wines with a noticeable blue or purple color are described as _______________.
Purple
If the red wine has noticeable orange or brown color but still more red than brown, it is described as _______________.
Garnet
If the wine is more brown than red, it may be described as _______________.
Tawny
The color of rose wines can be described as _______________, _______________, or _______________.
Pink; pink-orange; orange
Regarding the condition of the wine, the first thing to note is whether it is showing any _______________.
Faults
If the aromas are immediately apparent when you insert your nose into the glass, they are ______________.
Pronounced
If even after swirling the wine, the aromas are faint and hard to detect, the intensity is _______________.
Light
For wines with aromas that are neither pronounced or light, the intensity is described as _______________.
Medium
Aroma characteristics are classified as _______________, _______________, and _______________.
Primary; secondary; tertiary
Primary aromas come from the _______________ or are created during the _______________ process.
Grapes; fermentation
Secondary aromas are created by _______________ winemaking.
Post-fermentation
Secondary aromas include those extracted from _______________, such as vanilla and smoke.
Oak
Secondary aromas of cream and butter are the result of _______________.
Malolactic fermentation
Tertiary aromas have their origin in the _______________.
Ageing processes
Examples of tertiary aromas include those caused by long periods in _______________ or _______________.
Oak; in-bottle
A wine that has no sugar or has levels too low to detect by the tongue is considered a _______________ wine.
Dry
If the wine has a small amount of detectable sugar, it is described as _______________.
Off-dry
Wines with a distinct presence of sugar are rated as _______________.
Medium sweet
If sugar is the prominent feature of the wine it is classified as _______________.
Sweet
Acid is detected on the _______________.
Tongue
What effect does acid have on the mouth?
It causes a tingling sensation and makes your mouth water.
High levels of sugar and acid can mask each other. TRUE or FALSE
True
What wine component creates a burning sensation that feels similar to acid?
Alcohol
What is the effect of tannins on the palate?
Tannins bind your saliva and cause your mouth to dry up and feel rough. May also have a bitter taste that lingers in the back of your mouth.
Within the WSET programs, what does SAT refer to?
The systematic approach to tasting wine.
What wine component contributes to the body of the wine: heavier or a bit watery depending on level?
Alcohol
At high levels, what sensation does alcohol deliver?
Hot, burning sensation
Using the SAT methodology, what are the three alcohol levels?
Low: below 11% abv
Medium: 11 - 13.9% abv
High: 14% abv and above
Using the SAT methodology, what are the three alcohol levels for fortified wines?
Low: below 15 - 16.4% abv
Medium: 16.5 - 18.4% abv
High: 18.5% abv and above
Body is an overall impression of how the wine feels in the mouth. It is created by four structural components which are _______________.
Sugar, acidity, tannin and alcohol
For most wines, what is the main factor contributing to body?
Alcohol
Generally, a wine will have the same _______________ intensity as _______________ intensity.
Flavour; aroma
Generally, _______________ on the palate should be the same as ____________ detected on the nose.
Flavours; aromas
The _______________ is the collection of sensations after you have swallowed or spat the wine out.
Finish
The finish can be described as _______________ or _______________.
Short; long
Name four criteria that are used in assessing the quality of a wine.
Balance; length/finish; intensity; and complexity
Balance can be thought of as the interaction of the various elements of the wine. Some example include:
Sugar balanced by acidity; alcohol balanced by fruit flavour intensity
Wine with a short finish are generally considered high quality. TRUE or FALSE
False
When discussing quality some people refer to a wine’s intensity as its ______________.
Concentration
Using the four criteria, an outstanding wine would show positively for _______________ criteria.
Four
Using the four criteria, a very good wine would show positively for _______________ criteria.
Three
Using the four criteria, a good wine would show positively for _______________ criteria.
Two
Using the four criteria, an acceptable wine would show positively for _______________ criteria.
One
Using the four criteria, a wine that shows negatively for all four criteria would be judged to be _______________.
Poor
